A charging cradle is an often included accessory for mobile electronic devices such as notebooks, cellphones, and portable music players. It is used to charge the rechargeable battery that powers the device. When the battery of the portable device is depleted, the user of such device places the device containing the rechargeable battery (or the battery itself) into the cradle. When the charging contact of the device mates with the charging contact of the cradle, recharging begins. One of the shortcomings of current charging cradle is that the charging contact of the charging cradle may come into contact with the housing of the device (or the battery) as the device (or the battery) is being inserted into the cradle. If the housing of the device (or the battery) is a conductive material, then the charging circuit in the charging cradle may be short-circuited.
A charging cradle that prevents short-circuiting would thus be highly desirable.